Samuel Taylor
"; a reference to the psychopathic protagonist from the self-titled TV series. Samuel da Vinci (by Max) |causeofdeath = Killed by the storm (presumed, determinant)}} Samuel Taylor is the janitor at Blackwell Academy. Some people find him creepy, but Max enjoys his peculiar behavior. : See here for Samuel's custodial room. Personality Samuel is a very mysterious person. Max comments that he's kind of weird, but she likes that about him. He speaks cryptically in a poetical and metaphorical way and often refers to himself in the third person. He also believes in supernatural phenomena and has non-specific dreams that give him information about the spiritual forces surrounding other people like Max. Samuel is a sensitive, kind, and gentle person. He is thick-skinned and apologetic when he does wrong. He is a hard-working and positive figure in the game. It is possible that he has a mental disorder of some sort, due to his awkward behavior. Episode One - "Chrysalis" In the corridor of Blackwell's main building, Samuel can be seen sweeping the floor as Max finds her way to the bathroom. The second time, as she rushes to rescue the girl in the bathroom, she thinks he would believe her story if she had time to tell it. Outside the Prescott Dormitory, Max can speak to Samuel again about Rachel Amber. He seems to know something about her that many of the other students do not. If Max asks Samuel about the Missing Persons Posters of Rachel Amber, he tells her that only Rachel would know. He refers to Rachel as "sunlight" and does not dwell on what could have happened to her, as he looks forward to the future. He can tell Max that Rachel was positive and negativeThis is hinting to the fact that there are more negative things about Rachel Amber than is evident in the beginning of the game and due to Chloe's idealistic image and description of her., and compares Rachel to a prism that you would stare at in awe. Max needs to move Victoria and her friends away from the steps because they are blocking the entrance to the dormitory. She tampers with Samuel's paint bucket, which makes it fall when Samuel tries to hang it up, and it makes Victoria get covered with paint. Samuel tries to apologize, but Victoria tells him to get away from her. Episode Two - "Out of Time" Upon coming out of the dormitory, Max will come across Samuel taking a break from his duties by sitting on a bench and watching birds feed around him. Max may ask Samuel about the snowfall, about Rachel Amber (after discovering the photos of her inside Samuel's shed) and about the animals. If Max tells him that she has seen a doe, Samuel will reveal that the doe she has seen at the lighthouse is Max's spirit animal that will guide her to Rachel Amber's body, as has been shown to him in his dreams, and mention his spirit animal is a squirrel. Later when Max arrives at Blackwell Academy after returning from the railway tracks, Samuel will be sweeping the common area outside the bathrooms and Principal Well's office. He cannot be interacted with in this instance. Episode Three - "Chaos Theory" Documents from Principal Wells' computer, which Max discovered whilst breaking into Blackwell together with Chloe, reveal that Nathan had been threatening Samuel some time ago. Episode Four - "Dark Room" On coming to campus, Samuel can be seen sitting and talking outside the dorms with Ms. Grant. Looking for Nathan, Max approaches him. He complains about having to clean up the dead birds. Talking to him, he says how he believes that the spate of dead animals is more than an eco-disaster, and that someone is causing it to happen''This could be an indication for the theory that someone actually causes everything intentionally or just by preventing the predetermined time line from happening, like Max is doing with her rewinding ability - and Chloe actually is meant to die to resolve everything, which is a popular theory.. He says that Max and Arcadia Bay are "connected by time and tide". When Max talks with Victoria on the End of the World Vortex Club Party, it is revealed that she planned to get Samuel fired for the paint incident. Episode Five - "Polarized" Samuel makes an appearance in Max's nightmare. In the maze of her nightmare, he's patroling the hallways and hunting her like the other characters, and says phrases like, "You're my spirit animal", "The squirrels hate you... and they're hungry", "Samuel wants to make sure you never snoop around his room again" and "Too bad you didn't become friends with the Tobanga".Audio File: https://instaud.io/dwS In the Two Whales Diner sequence of her nightmare, he accuses Max, "Why do you want all squirrels to die?" If Max chooses to sacrifice Arcadia Bay, Samuel's fate is unknown. But it's possible that he's been killed by the storm like most of Arcadia Bay's residents. Spirit Animal As Samuel states himself, his spirit animal is the squirrel which symbolizes a balance of energy, diligence, vitality and resourcefulness. Squirrels are highly prepared creatures and play only after they’ve completed their work, such as storing away food for the winter. The Squirrel spiritual totems are resourceful people and have a way of gathering all the things you need right now and for the future. People who identify most strongly with these furry friends like to be prepared for any and all occasions.Meanings of the spirit animal squirrel and its appearance: http://www.sunsigns.org/squirrel-animal-totem-symbolism-meanings/, http://www.universeofsymbolism.com/squirrel-symbolism.html Theories :''Main article: Theories and Speculations * It is possible that Samuel may practice transvestism due to the array of fashion items that can be found in the janitorial shed, including shades, a scarf, and magazines. On the other hand, it is entirely possible that Samuel just may have a hidden interest in fashion, maybe even a desire to become a fashion photographer. * From the very beginning of the game, Samuel seems very mysterious and it is possible that he has some kind of connection to Arcadia Bay or Blackwell. This theory is furthered by his lecture about spirit animals and his heightened distress at the weird occurrences that unfold over the week. * When talking to Max about her spirit animal guiding her to Rachel, he uses the phrase "body", which indicates a possible knowledge about Rachel being dead. * The Twilight Zone Theory Trivia * Samuel's last name being Taylor is first mentioned in Episode 5 during a rewind sequence back in Jefferson's class on Monday in a Blackwell brochure. * Samuel's name might be a reference to, and his character inspired by, the English poet and philosopher . As a writer, his poetic work was mainly centered around nature."For Romantics, nature was the only source of real inspiration, the only place where men could truly connect to their deepest and most powerful emotions." His most famous works all took supernatural themes and presented exotic images; his style was often very allegorical. With his work, he also explored the idea of a universal life consciousness based on the general agreement of the unity of God and the immortality of the soul. According to the poet himself, some of his works were inspired by dream visions. Essentially, he was the first person to give a name to the mental phenomenon that allows a reader to accept the fantasy world offered to him in a work of fiction or poetry, "the willing suspension of disbelief".For more information on Samuel Taylor Coleridge see here: http://www.shmoop.com/coleridge/ *There is an unused concept art of the janitor room done by Edouard Caplain. Its existence implies that it was originally intended to be in the game.Twitter post by Edouard Caplain *He revealed to Max in Episode 4 that his father was a fisherman. They used to go out together and listen to whale songs. Gallery samuel-ep1sweepblackwell.png|Samuel sweeping the hallway ("Chrysalis") samuel-ep1sweepdorms.png|Samuel sweeping the dormitories ("Chrysalis") samuel-ep1talktomax.png|Samuel talking to Max ("Chrysalis") samuel-ep1resting.png|Samuel having a break ("Chrysalis") samuel-ep1apologise.png|Samuel apologising to Victoria ("Chrysalis") samuel-ep2bench.png|Samuel sitting on a bench ("Out of Time") samuel-ep2talktomax.png|Samuel talking to Max ("Out of Time") samuel-ep2sweepblackwell.png|Samuel sweeping the hallway ("Out of Time") samuel-ep4talktomax.png|Samuel talking to Max ("Dark Room") samuel-ep5nightmare.png|Samuel in Max's nightmare ("Polarized") samuel-ep5nightmarediner.png|Samuel in Max's nightmare ("Polarized") Notes References es:Samuel Taylor ru:Сэмюэль Тейлор de:Taylor Taylor Category:Male Characters Category:Blackwell Academy Staff Category:Episode One: Chrysalis Characters Category:Episode Two: Out of Time Characters Category:Episode Four: Dark Room Characters Category:Characters